Attachment points on the load

The most common mistake is not the wrong sling. It is attaching to something
that was never meant to lift.

Designated or not

If the load has designated lifting points, they are used. They are placed where
the structure takes the force, and often so the load hangs in balance. Where they
are not designated, the attachment point is a judgement — and that judgement
belongs in the planning, not in what you improvise at the load.

What is not a lifting point

• Lashing and transport points — made to hold something down, not lift it
• Handles, guardrails, ladders and covers
• Pipes, cables, hoses and conduit on the machine
• Shafts and parts that can rotate
• Anything bolted on that is not part of the load-bearing structure

The direction the force arrives from

A point that takes load straight up does not necessarily take load at an angle.
Eyebolts are the clearest example: side loading reduces the capacity sharply, and
by how much is in the documentation for that bolt. Swivel lifting points are built
to take force from several directions. See the
lifting gear reference.

Is the eyebolt screwed fully home, and does the eye lie in the plane the sling
actually pulls in? If not, both are a problem.

Before you attach

• Is the point undamaged — no crack, deformation or slack thread
• Is it clean enough for you to see its condition
• Will the material around the point take it — not just the point itself
• Are there loose parts on the load to secure or remove first